While it’s uncertain Pinterest has bumped up
her revenue, Sansevieri says its connecting
links boost her website and other social
media traffic.

Before fully engaging, Sansevieri observed how others, including competitors,
used Pinterest. Since the site is often a vehicle
for inspiration and sharing information,
Sansevieri suggests Pinterest users eschew
blatant commercialism.

“It’s not a good idea to lead with your
wallet on any social networking site,” says
Sansevieri, who has advised dozens of parties
on Pinterest. She favors a more indirect
approach, informing and educating others to
establish herself as a credible authority.

“It’s about how it all fits into your overall
communication strategy,” says McCaffery, a
Costco member, Pinterest user and adviser.

Jeff Nelson, a Costco member who helms
the four-employee Anduro Marketing in
Calgary, Alberta (
www.anduro.com), says
only half of the dozen small companies
he’s counseled on Pinterest
launched accounts.

“Some balk because of
the time required,” says

Nelson. “Some feel overwhelmed [by online social
media vehicles].”

Getting started

Once you’ve signed
up, follow the straightforward directions to
create a Pinterest profile
and ensure that others
can repin photos,
graphics, text and videos from your account. You can also post
images on Pinterest from your own and other
websites, blogs and You Tube channels—but
not (yet) your Facebook account, says
Sansevieri. Happily, she adds, Pinterest does
offer links to personal Facebook and Twitter
accounts, blogs and websites.

“ whelmed [by online social a u
only half of the dozen small companies

(ing)Business owners “pin it” to win it

20 ;e Costco Connection JULY 2012

By Harvey Meyer

THE WILDLY POPULAR Pinterest social
media site has been described as visual crack.
Many can’t stop surfing the ocean of intriguing, dazzling and inspiring photos on
Pinterest (
www.pinterest.com). They often
“pin” the colorful graphics or create their own
in their Pinterest collection, a kind of virtual
scrapbook that can be shared with the world.

“Pinterest is addictive,” says Tracey
Manailescu, Costco member and co-founder
of the Toronto-based for-profit
Canada (
wpic.ca). Beyond its
personal appeal, Manailescu
says, Pinterest enhances exposure for the institute and her
own wedding-planning firm,
both of which are represented
on her Pinterest account.

Data supports Manailescu’s
optimism for Pinterest’s business potential. The site draws
millions of unique visitors
monthly. Moreover, reports indicate the average Pinterest user
easily spends more time on the
site than on Facebook or Twitter.

“It’s a great marketing tool,”
says Ani Semerjian, a Costco member who
owns Devon, Pennsylvania–based Semerjian
Interiors (
www.semerjianinteriors.com).
Clients have contacted Semerjian for
interior-decorating work through her
Pinterest account.

Women are Pinterest’s largest demographic group. Thus, companies tied to weddings, food, clothing, crafts and interior
design represent a sizable Pinterest presence.
The site is also gaining traction in the areas of
home improvement, architecture, publishing
and many other industries.

Pinterest is only a couple of years old and
is still working out kinks and concerns. But
even as it’s evolving, useful tips have emerged

Costco member Penny Sansevieri uses
Pinterest to inform and educate both
followers and potential clients.

boards that blend her business—for example,book-marketing tips—with her personalinterests—“Things I Love.”In Pinterest parlance, her boards drawhundreds of “followers,” “likes,” “repins” and“comments” that help forge a bond withpotential customers and others. Sansevieriprefers repins because they provide links toher website, boosting exposure and thepotential for generating leads and revenue.

What to pin

Wedding planner Manailescu espouses a
friendly and professional approach to pinning that illustrates her and her company’s
uniqueness. Another approach is to fashion
thematically related pinboards that communicate a story about your firm. Consider
conjuring catchy board titles that include key-